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Personal security is scalable and the level of individual protective measures that a person chooses to take should largely be based on the results of their Personal Security Risk Assessment. It should also be recognized that these measures can depend on changing circumstances and may change depending on the location, function, etc. of a person…

Its difficult to develop and implement effective security measures without first understanding your level of risk. Context is everything when it comes to assessing security risk. You need to be able to look at how you interact with your environment and the particular security threats in that environment to develop an accurate picture of your…

In an earlier article we discussed a number of key skills for personal security, including behavioral analysis. We mentioned that while criminal culture may vary from location to location, many (not necessarily all) principles of behavioral analysis are universal to human beings regardless of location and culture. The key factor when assessing behavior is to…

Criminal culture and methods of operation vary from place to place. While there are some aspects which are somewhat universal, there is also a great deal of specificity based on location. Understanding these aspects for location where you are living and operating is a key component of personal security. This knowledge allows you to better…

Most of the personal security and self-defense market in US seems to cater to traditional hard skills reactive training, in particular shooting and physical self defense techniques. These are important skills to have but there seems to be a dearth of training in other more soft, preventative skills. Even with in the hard skills arena…

Situation awareness is a key component of personal protection. In fact it may well be the key component of personal protection around which everything else is built. Interest and appreciation for the importance of situational awareness is growing. One aspect that is sometimes overlooked though is the importance of tying it to effective decision making. …

There are certain situations where individuals may be specifically targeted for attack. It may arise from a business or personal dispute, due to perceived wealth, political profile or another reason. Assuming you are not a head of state, high net worth person or other individual with a large security detail and other protective infrastructure support,…

Layering contacts: What does it mean and why should you consider doing it? When traveling overseas, particularly to higher risk locations or locations where cultural and business practices are significantly different, it can make sense to not put all your eggs in the same basket. To set the stage and make it easier to understand…

Who is more vulnerable? Who is at greater risk? A short-term traveler or a long-term visitor/expatriate? It’s an interesting question and one without a clear-cut answer. All other things being equal, each one can present its own set of vulnerabilities. Let’s look at each one and then compare and contrast. For simplicity sake I will…

While many people now recognize that situational awareness is a key component of personal security and is the element that is most likely to help you avoid a bad situation, applying it daily can be a challenge. One reason is that it is sometimes not taught or explained well in self-defense or personal protection classes…